Casting machine



June 12, 1923.

"JV. T. DAVIS CASTING MACHINE Filed May 20, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12 1923.

w. "r. DAVIS CASTING MACHINE Filed May 20, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 \lll -ill uvuf iu INVENTOR.

June 12, 1923.

"N. T. DAVIS CASTING MACHINE Filed May 20, 1921 4 Sheets Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Patented June 12, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER, 'I'. DAVIS, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOB TO WHEELING STAMP- ING- COMPANY, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, A. CORPORATION OF wmq:

VIRGINIA.

CASTING MACHINE.

Application filed May 20, 1921. Serial No. 471,105.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER T. DAVIS, a resident of Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Casting Machines, of wh1ch the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are views partly 1n side elevation and partly in vertlcal section showing a machine embodying my invention, the parts being shown in different positlons 1n the two figures;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the ladle and its pourlng spout;

Figure 5 is a section on the lme V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view partially in side ele vation and partially in vertlcal section showing the mold and its actuating connectlons;

Figure 7 is a section on the line VIIVII of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a face view of the cam My invention has relation to machlnes for casting molten metal. While the lnvention is adapted for use in the casting of various articles from molten metal, it has been more particularly designed for use for the purpose of casting slabs or blocks from molten tin, lead, zinc, etc. i

The object of my invention is to provlde a casting machine of simple and eiiiclent character, which will be automatic in its action, the operations of dipping the casting ladle into the molten metal, of discharging the same into the mold, and of opening and closing the mold being carried out mechanically in succession.

The nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown the preferred embodiment thereof and which will now be described, it being premised, however, that various changes can be made in the details of construction, arrangementand combination of the various parts, with-- out departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims. In these drawings, the numeral 2 designatee any suitable tank or vessel containing the molten metal from which the castings are to be made. Mounted adjacent to one end of this tank is a mold which, in the present instance, is shown as designed for use in casting articles of slab or block form. This mold comprises a body portion 3, formmg the back, side, front and top walls of the mold cavity 4, and a closure member 5, adapted to close the remaining side of said cavlty. Each of the members 3 and 5 is preferably provided with a chamber 6, through which water or other cooling fluid may be circulated. 7 designates circulating connections forthis purpose. The member 3 is rigidly mounted upon the base 3. 8 designates ejectors slidingly mounted in said 'member 3, and provided with springs 9, seated between the rear side of the member 3 and collars 10, on the rear end portions of said ejectors. The closure member 5 issocured to the guide rods 11,,which extend through bearings in the side portions of the member 3, and are connected at their rear ends by bars or yokes '12. Springs 13 are seated around the rods 11 between the bars or yokes and the member 3. The yokes 12, upon their forward movement, engage and actuate the ejectors 8,'to eject the formed casting.

The member 5 is arranged to be reciprocated toward and away from the member 3 by suitable means, such as the connecting rod 14, having an elongated slot 15, which engages a wrist pin 16 one disk 17, which is secured on a transverse shaft 18. The shaft 18 is driven by gear connections 19 with a shaft 20, carrying a -pulley 21, or other suitable means for applying power thereto.

22 designates a ladle which is shown as being in the form of a cylindrical vessel which is closed except for an inlet opening 23, at the upper portion thereof, and for an outlet opening .24, communicating with a spout 25, having a discharge nozzle 26. The spout 25 has secured thereto a collar 27,

' formed with a projecting pin or trunnion 28,

formed in the opposite face of the disk 17, from that which carries the wrist pm 16, before referred to. I

The discharge openin 24 for the ladle 22 is provided with a va ve plate 37, which is carried by a rod 38, mounted for partlal rota movement in the ladle and in the collar 27. This rod has a crank, arm 39, to which one end of a chain or other flexible member 40 is connected, the other end being connected to a crank arm 41, of a post 42, pivoted near its lower end. The upper end of the post 42 has an elongated vertical slot 44, which is engaged by a pin 45, carried by a collar 46, which is secured to the s out 24. The collar 46 has an upwardl pro ecting pin 47, to whichis connecte one end of a spring 48, the other end of this spring being connected to crank arm 49, on the end of the rod 38. 50 is a spring seated between the crank arm 49 and the collar 27, and which normally acts to hold the valve plate 37 pressed against its seat.

The operation is as follows: The parts being in the positions shown in Figure 1, in which a casting operation has just been completed, the continued rotation of the disk 16 in a counter-clockwise direction will cause the closure member 5 of the mold to be moved away from the mold body, thereby allowing the cast article to drop out at the bottom of the mold on to a suitable delivery plate 51. At the same time, the cam groove 36 and lever 32 will act through the link 31 upon the bell crank lever 29 and 30 to lower the ladle into the filling position shown in Figure 2. In this position, the ladle 22 is completely immersed in the molten metal in the tank 2 and is preferabl carried to a point near the bottom of sai tank, so as to insure its being filled with metal which is free from the dross and scum which is usually present at the upper portion of the body of metal. The cam groove 36 is of such shape as to retain the ladle in its filling position a sufiicient length of time to enable it to become filled. Said cam then acts to raise the ladle to the discharging position shown in Figure 1, with its spout 26 extending into the filling opening at the top of the mold cavity. During the time the ladle has been filling, and while it is being moved to its discharging position, the valve 24 is closed. When, however, the ladle reaches the discharging position, the tension on the flexible connection 40 is sufficient to rock the rod 38, and thereby open the valve, thus permitting the contents of the ladle to be discharged into the mold. After the discharge is completed, the valve is again closed by the action of the spring 48.

I have shown the tank 20 as provided with an air discharge pipe 52, for the purpose of purifying the metal contained therein in the manner described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 471,- 104 filed May 20, 1921. I

It will be noted that when the machine has once been started in motion, its operations are entirely mechanical, successive castings being rapidly made and discharged without the necessity of manual control.

vIt will be obvious that many changes can be made in the details of the arts, such as the gearing and connections or operating the mold closure and the ladle; that the character of the ladle and the manner of its mounting may be widely changed, and that various other changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a tank or vessel adapted to contain molten metal, of a mold mounted adjacent thereto, an oscillating ladle having means normally preventing discharge therefrom, and means for oscillating said ladle to alternately immerse it in the tank to be filled and to bring it into discharging relation to the mold, said first mentioned means being automatically moved to inoperative position when the ladle reaches said discharging relation, substantially as described.

2. In a casting machine, a relatively stationary mold having a movable closure member, a ladle mounted to oscillate in a vertical plane, and means for oscillating the ladle ating said closure member relatively to the mold in timed relation to the movements of the ladle to alternately close the mold and permit the discharge therefrom of the formed casting, substantially as described.

3. A casting machine, comprising a ladle, a spout communicating therewith, a normally closed valve cooperating with said spout, and means for oscillating the ladle and spout in a vertical plane, said valve being automatically-"opened when the ladle reaches its upper position, substantially as described.

4. A casting machine, comprising a ladle, a spout communicating therewith, means for oscillating the ladle and spout in a vertical plane, a valve member for opening and closing the communication between the ladle and spout for controlling the discharge through said spout, and means for mechanically opening and closing said valve member as the ladle is oscillated, substantially as described.

5. A casting machine, comprising a ladle having a filling opening and a discharge opening, a spout member connected to the ladle and communicating with the discharge opening, a valve controlling said opening, and means for periodically oscillatmg the ladle and spout member and opening said valve, substantially as described.

6. A casting machine, comprising a ladle having a filling opening and a discharge opening, a spout member connected to the ladle and communicating With the discharge opening, means for periodically scillatlng said spout and ladle, together wlth a valve member for controlling said discharge opening, and connections for automatically opening and closing the said valve member, substantially described.

7. In a casting machine, a mold, a ladle having an attached spout arranged to be moved into a position to discharge into sa d mold, lever mechanism connected to said spout, connections for actuating the lever mechanism to cause the ladle to be alternately dipped into a bath of molten metal and then moved to a position in which the spout can discharge the contents of the ladle into the mold, and means automatically opening the mold for permltting the d18- charge therefrom of the molded article as the ladle is dipped into the bath, substantially as described. D v

8. Casting mechamsm, comprising a mold having a movable closure, actuating connections for moving the closure relatively to the mold, a ladle having an attached discharge spout, and pivoted to oscillate in a vert1cal plane, a lever member carryingsaid ladle and spout and to which the spout is pivoted, connections for actuating said lever, said connections being arranged to operate in timed relation with the movements of the mold closure, and means for insuring a constant charge of metal in the ladle irrespective of the depth of the molten metal thereabove, substantially as described.

9. Casting mechanism, comprising a mold having a movable closure, actuating connections for moving the closure relatively to the mold, a ladle having an attached discharge spout, and pivoted to oscillate in a vertical plane, a lever member carrying said ladle and spout and to which the spout is pivoted,

connections for actuating said lever, said connections being arranged to operate in timed relation with the movements of the mold closure, together with a valve member for preventing discharge through said spout, and connections for automatically opening and closing said valve member, substantially as described. c

10. A casting machine, comprising a mold having a movable closure member, a ladle mounted to oscillate, means for oscillating the ladle to alternately immerse it in a tank and lift it above the mold'in a discharging relation thereto, for operating said closure member relatively to the mold in timed rela tion to the movements of the ladle and for ejecting the molded article from the mold,

and means for insuring a constant charge of metal in the ladle irrespective of the depth of the molten metal thereabove, substantially as described.

11. In a casting machine, a mold, a ladle having an attached spout arranged to he moved into position to discharge into said mold, mechanism for actuating the'ladle to cause it to be dipped into a bath of molten metal, and a valve within said spout insuring a constant charge of metal in the ladle and spout irrespective of the depth of the molten metal above the ladle, substantially as described.

12. In a casting machine, a mold, a ladle having an attached spout arranged to be moved into position to discharge into said mold, mechanism for actuating the ladle to cause it to be dipped into a bath of molten metal, and means insuring a constant charge of metal in the ladle and spout irrespective of the depth of the molten metal above the ladle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set in hand.

y WALTER T. DAVIS. 

